


The Compassionate One

by Misanagi



Series: Illusions [4]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-02-19
Updated: 2008-02-19
Packaged: 2017-10-12 14:07:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/125662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misanagi/pseuds/Misanagi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Since he had been little Quatre had been taught to respect his fellow men, to be tolerant and show firmness and kindness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Compassionate One

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://community.livejournal.com/gw500/profile)[**gw500**](http://community.livejournal.com/gw500/) prompt # 216: Illusion

Since he had been little Quatre had been taught to respect his fellow men, to be tolerant and show firmness and kindness. His role would be one of a protector. He would have to ensure the people's well being, work for them, live for them. It was what his father had done and it was what was expected of him.

No one had expected him to kill for it, though. Quatre had learned his lesson. He cared for the people and wanted to protect them and so he had taken a path no Winner had before him. He had decided to fight for them. His father hadn't understood but Quatre had seen no other way. This was what was right, this was something worth dying for… worth killing for.

It had hurt to take those lives when he had fought alongside the Maguanacs and the weight of what he had done had pressed down heavily on him, almost crushing him when he had agreed to pilot a Gundam.

He hadn't killed Trowa though. Quatre had given him the option of surrendering and he had been the first to take it. Trowa had showed him the face behind the anonymous suits he destroyed every day, and later on, during Quatre's darkest moments, Trowa hadn't surrendered and his bravery had brought Quatre back. Quatre had almost killed him.

Duo had told him when they were hiding in the Maguanac camp that he fought so others wouldn't have to. Quatre had mulled over those words for a long time but it wasn't until he met Duo again that he understood the meaning. The weight on Quatre's shoulders didn't lessen but he was glad it was _him_ carrying it instead of others.

There was a time when that weight had become unbearable. Quatre had crossed the line and the lives he had taken after his father had died hadn't been in hopes of protecting the people or to create a better world, not really. The cruelness of Zero hadn't been what Quatre had done but what he had seen about himself, what he learned he was capable of. Heero had understood that. He had seen through Quatre's darkest fears and pushed him through them, forced him to face them and deal with them until Quatre was strong enough to bear his burden again.

Wufei had only understood Quatre's strength in the battlefield, when Quatre faced his demons, faced the darkest part of himself and used Zero again. After that Quatre could see how Wufei controlled his desire for revenge and he had learned from it.

Sometimes Quatre thinks that he and the others were bonded in death. After all, they were all killers, they all took lives without hesitation. It took the whole war for Quatre to understand that they are bonded in life, in strength and in the will to keep fighting. He cares for them; he'll work for them and live for them. And while each has their own burdens to bear Quatre is determined to lessen theirs any way he can. It's what he was brought up to do, what he _wants_ to do. They are worth it.


End file.
